Cablegate: Media Reaction: President Obama's Visit to Asia, U.S.-China

VZCZCXRO7083
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #3118 3171101
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131101Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6844
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS BEIJING 003118

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/CM, EAP/PA, EAP/PD, C
HQ PACOM FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR (J007)
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON KMDR OPRC CH

SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S VISIT TO ASIA, U.S.-CHINA
RELATIONS, TIBET

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Editorial Quotes
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1. PRESIDENT OBAMA'S VISIT TO ASIA

"Obama steps onto the big Asian stage"

The official Communist Party international news publication Global
Times (Huanqiu Shibao)(11/13)(pg 1): "According to U.S. media, a new
world order has arrived. Professor Jin Canrong at People's
University of China said that Obama's visit to Asia is different in
that he does not have the superiority of previous U.S. Presidents.
Yuan Peng at the China Institute of International Relations said
that Europe is the United States' past and Asia is its present and
future. U.S.-Europe relations are value-oriented, while U.S.-Asia
relations are interest-oriented, which is why it is difficult to
tell which set of relations are more important for the United
States. For Americans, trans-Pacific relations are crucial for
influencing the world's future. Japan and Europe are watching
Obama's visit closely, and with uneasiness. Obama's stay in China
is the longest of his trip, which is seen as an indication of the
most important agenda items on his visit. Professor Jin argued
although the big changes China has gone through have made the West
uneasy, there is in fact no need for the West to worry since,
despite the rapid development of China, its per capita GDP is still
low. As a result, China will focus on domestic issues instead of
foreign expansion like the West."

2. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS

"How should China respond to the United States' return to Southeast
Asia?"

The China Radio International sponsored newspaper World News Journal
(Shijie Xinwenbao)(11/13)(pg 3): "Professor Zhang Xizhen at the
School of International Studies at Peking University argued that
China has made substantial progress in cooperating with ASEAN. The
ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) will finally be announced next
year. Zhang said China should focus on North East Asian cooperation
as such cooperation will be very influential once it is established.
Because the cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea does
not have much to do with the United States, the United States has no
right to join this mechanism. The East Asian order is not currently
beneficial to China since the U.S. and its allies - Japan, South
Korea and the Philippines - are on one side and China is all alone
on the other side. However, due to the financial crisis, there has
been a shift in the U.S.-Japan alliance. China should use this
opportunity to push for the establishment of an equitable trilateral
framework between the United States, Japan and China. ASEAN
countries are skillful at balancing the influence of the big powers.
They know that the big powers all want to expand their influence in
the region, and thus they avoid tilting towards any one country
simply because it provides more assistance."

3. TIBET

"China urges U.S. to respect its stance on Tibet"

The official intellectual publication Guangming Daily (Guangming
Ribao)(11/13)(pg 8): "On November 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Qin Gang urged the United States to respect China's
core interests concerning Tibet. President Obama mentioned
previously that he is grateful to President Lincoln, who played a
critical role in maintaining the unity and territorial integrity of
the United States and without whom he would not have become the
first African American President. We hope that President Obama can
better and more deeply understand China's position in maintaining
its sovereignty and territorial integrity. To a certain extent, the
feudal system run by the Dalai Lama in the old Tibet is the same as
the system of slavery in America that was abolished by President
Lincoln. Qin said the U.S. government should also listen to the
voice of the Chinese public. Ninety percent of netizens who
participated in an online poll expressed firm opposition to a
possible meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama. [Speaking about
Obama's visit to China,] Qin said, 'Apart from political meetings,
Obama will have opportunities to interact with Chinese youth during
his stay in Shanghai, (details of) which are being finalized."

HUNTSMAN

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